Okay folks, I set this up the WAY I did for a reason, and then I let you decide which way it was going to go. So far on about 5 people have actually voted, yet I have 37 (exaggeration) opinions-Sounds like I asked 3 rabbis for an opinoin of one tractate (verse). The actual LACK of flames surprises me. I thought I would be hitting a LOT more hot buttons than I did. Given the way I wrote, it I wasn't even sure it would squeeze by the moderator. I don't have any of HIS hate mail so it must have been okay.
It was two things actually. It was first a simple thought exercise, and there actually was a hidden agenda How many of you smoke (and or don't mind other's doing it. As a thought exercise I wanted to see who would and who wouldn't stand by their principles even when their LIFE was at stake. This was none too much concealed it was pretty obvious (the boss is a complete a*shole, or idiot; either is apparent by his complete uncouth manner). Perhaps I should have amended it with a sentence of how you were a NEW hire and recently anointed as the "fair haired" Lass/lady or "New young Turk"-take your pick. I thought it was obvious; apparently, I failed.
As to the "hidden" agenda, I was conducting a poll as to how many of you actually smoke or don't care if someone else does (as it was in the USA until the infamous "Surgeon General's Warning". Actually (even though the sample remains small) it parallels the "real" numbers that existed in 1964 when the Surgeon General FIRST issued his ill conceived, inadequately researched "findings". Some people smoked, most didn't, and it was JUST something that others did (to seem sophisticated or because they enjoyed it) or did not. NO, one of course did not smoke in most other peoples houses, you pulled your pack and offered one to your host. At that point you were either POLITELY asked NOT to smoke, or they found you an ashtray (and aired out the house later, which seems to be something no longer conceivable).
Before I get a bunch of gas bout the zillions of medical studies that PROVE that smoking is, if not lethal at least harmful. Let me say that EVERY one of them is a small sampling JUST like this one, given the millions of people in the world who choose to smoke (and choose to remain "hooked" as I do). In every one of these reports and case studies, it comes down to how cigarette smoking MAY be a contributing factor to many medical conditions (while having to actually have benefited both Parkinson's and Alzheimer's-both are dopamine deficient conditions, with other factors as yet unknown-but smoking CANNOT be SPECIFICALLY attributed as a causative link to the condition(s) that they are observing. This includes COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or emphysema) and or lung cancer. The deliberate misleading of the general masses, keeps millions of people employed with higher than average wages. It is "big" business, every bit as much as tobacco is.
It is a FACT that Zyban has killed MORE people on a PER captia basis than cigarettes are misatrtbutted-period, but it's okay, and smoking isn't (because it is offensive). It remains politically expedient to kowtow to the pharmaceutical lobbies opposed to the tobacco.
To those who don't like my choices, allow me to explain them. Life is LIKE that, a lot (it's two words to those who insist upon pretending that Random House prints a dictionary) of time, it throws you both problems and solutions and you LIKE neither.
First of all, I presume that I am talking to the "average audience" of 20 something's with a wife/husband/"significant other/main squeeze, two point three kids, a dog (and maybe a puddytat-I like puddytats). They "own" their home, the mortgage (death pay) payments of which constitutes 28% of their gross income. They pay on average 54% state and federal income tax. Like 84% of the populace of the USA, they are about 63 days away from abject poverty and homelessness, because they are spending 140% of their "net income" per annum, as "encouraged by the Moron Machine. (Somebody told me they call it a TV (I'd asked them about the pictures in the small box). I don't own one so I woudn't know. I also made it VERY clear that YOU had NO choice in the matter, HE was coming to dinner on short notice, (this in and of itself) points out how totalitarian he is.
The totalitarian aspect of the issues was yet another point I wanted to make. Many do what we are told to do, just because we are told to do it, e.g.: quit smoking… grin. Others may well REFUSE to do what they are told to do just because they were TOLD, instead of being asked, nicely--any takers? Then, there are those who actually consider the events and choose. While the poll was EXCEPTIONALLY limited, this is WHY there is a discussion thread in the first place. You pays you money and takes you chanced, and then you "vetch" (it's Yiddish). Some people pronounce it with a "b" and VERY short e…*grin*.
1. Throw him out: This can be done as politely or impolitely as you choose, depending upon your breeding and manners. It could include saying, "um, er, boss, I guess you don't know, but we don't smoke here. Uh, can I put that out for you? You could choose to tell him where to put his smoke…
2. Fire up and join him, motioning to the 2 gallon butt kick on the coffee table (you smoke and you don't care).
3. Find him something that will do, and HOPE you clean the upholstery. You accommodate him for your job's sake (knowing you WILL lose it if you don't). After you hit the $20/hr rate, walking down the street and getting the same, or more, may well take more than 63 days these days and you are on the streets without help from SOMEHWHERE.
4. Stand there slackjawed-this was one of the several kickers; I really expected a lot of you guys and gals to take this one and run wild (judging from what I've read on this forum) no one really did.
Adam: You're fired, and homeless. I'm sorry, YOU lose. You may discover that if you have a good enough "gaff" you can make MORE money selling pens on a street corner and NOT pay taxes…
Goofyfish:
1. You have the right Idea. His 'house', his rule; your house, YOUR rule but… how is he going to take it, and is it going to affect your job? Can you AFFORD to offend this complete and totall Jerk (Koff?)
2. This is an alternative; but it brings us back to the same question.
Chris:
*Blushing, whilst shuffling feet* Why thank you.
stRgrl: I light up in other peoples houses all the time (I find the ashtray with BUTS or ashes and buts in a trash can first, though, or I wait for them to forget to ask me to join them… grin-anyone who does smoke in their own house, doesn't care if you do. They may care if it is NOT tobacco, though, I know a NUMBER of people who would thrash me soundly for smoking tobacco in their homes but they don't think TWICE about firing up the old water pipe… (and some are dragging down 4 figure salaries, too). I have my choiced, they theirs, and I figure it's THEIR life. This was one of the points no body touched on. (uh, did you know that W.H.O. (World Health Organization) studied 3000 non-smoking spouses of smokers and non-somokers for 8 years and finally gave up in disgust when they found out that the non-smoking spouses of smokers WERE AT NO GREATER MEDICAL RISK than their counterparts?
Blond_cupid: If you don't want to play, nice, don't play.
Well I can see it is deteriorating to my inactive monitoring it. I just wanted to see what would happen if I put some people in a room and told them there was a bomb, the doors were locked and the 13 minutes left. I wish I'd been surprised…
Thanks for playing, Any comments? You have the addy or the thread, either is fine (I know all the words, I just choose (mostly) not to use them. So feel free or constrained, the options, are of course, yours.
Mr. K.
P.S. OF course I'm arrogant. If I weren't I wouldn't be posting my opinions (which are just like noses; everyone has one: most smell) to a forum, now would I?